KerbalX

KSPCS Opportunity A

Cost: ~94k
Recovery: ~88k
Payload: 10 Kerbals
Reach: LKO with 3200dV
Rationale:

• Easy to fly
• Passenger SSTO
• Well balanced, CoM barely moves at all (<0.02m)
• Cheap to operate - ~6k per flight!
• Drone core enabled!
• Mid career tech options only
• Need something less advanced? Checkout the predecessor - KSPCS Hope B
• Considering the double-Darts cheating? Checkout the successor - KSPCS Opportunity B
• Can land and start on Mun and Minmus!

KSPCS Opportunity A procedures:

Take-Off (Kerbin):

• Open and fix stats of a Whiplash
• <T> to activate SAS, <Y> for full throttle, <CapsLock> for more precise steering
• <space> to activate first stage (Whiplashs)
• At end of runway, <G> to pull gear, gently pull up
• Fly flat and push <F> regularly to not climb above 500m above see level
• At speed >500m/s allow automatically climbing SLOWLY
• At ~14km height latest you need to reach 1200m/s
• At ~17km height stage the NERVs
• At ~19km height stage the Darts
• Turn off Whiplashs <1> after flaming out
• Keep angle of attack <20°
• Start observing apoapsis, when it reaches 65km turn off throttle <X>, SAS on prograde
• Create maneuver node in a bit in front of AP to push AP to 75km
• Burn accordingly on all available engines
• Create maneuver node in new AP to circularize orbit, burn accordingly
• At 70km height, open cargo bays, deploy solar panels and antenna <0>

Landing (Kerbin, wide approach):

• Create maneuver node almost on the opposite side on Kerbin, putting periapsis at 40km height onto KSC
• Deploy brakes, <G> to deploy gears, <V> to free view mode
• Execute maneuver node on NERVs
• Deactivate the NERVs <3>, push <1> to turn Whiplashs on if needed
• Aim at radial out, put some thrust
• Before entering the atmosphere, close cargo bays, undeploy solar panels and antenna <0>
• When impact area is at the mountains in front of KSC, put SAS on prograde
• When impact area is getting to much in front, let AoA pull up slowly to 10°, undeploy brakes, <G> to undeploy gears
• When impact area is getting to much in behind, correct AoA to prograde, deploy brakes, <G> to deploy gears
• Between mountains and KSC reduce thrust to 1/3rd
• Undeploy brakes and gears <G> when coming in at ~150m/s and 500m above ground
• When reaching the plain around KSC reduce thrust to one tick, deploy brakes and gears <G>
• Land anywhere on the plain at <120m/s and taxi to runway if needed

Landing (Mun):

• DO NOT ATTEMPT LANDINGS IF YOU GOT LESS THAN 1800m/s dV LEFT IN 16x16km COUNTERCLOCKWISE Mun ORBIT!
• Take care to have ~100 units of oxidizer left
• Burn 500dV retrograde in surface mode
• Cut off trust <X> if speed ~100m/s
• Let the craft fall down until ~6km above ground
• Touch down at <12m/s

Take-Off (Mun):

• Push <4> to activate Vernors
• Activate RCS <R>
• Put SAS to surface radial out
• <Y> apply full thrust on NERVs
• At 100m above ground turn SAS to hold
• Target 90° and push AP to 15km, cut off thrust when done
• Circularize in AP on NERVs
• You should be left with 500m/s dV

Return to Kerbin:

• Create prograde maneuver node with <270m/s
• Place node so you get a Kerbin periapsis of 55km
• Before entering the atmosphere, close cargo bays, undeploy solar panels and antenna <0>
• Happy aerobraking!!!
• If you go in, maybe use 20° AoA until PE and -40° AoA behind PE to prevent PE from lowering
• After leaving the atmosphere, open cargo bays, deploy solar panels and antenna <0>
• Use remaining dV to go home
• Good luck!

You may want to consider adding 2 drain valves into the cargo bay on opposite positions to get rid of obsolete oxidizer after initial orbiting.

A stock aircraft called KSPCS Opportunity A.
Built with 77 of the finest parts, its root part is mk2Cockpit.Inline.

Built in the SPH in KSP version 1.10.1.

Details

• Type: SPH
• Class: ship
• Part Count: 77
• Pure Stock
• KSP: 1.10.1